I have decided to start vaccinating my dog and cats myself, but I am not sure where I can buy the vaccines? My vet will still do the rabies vaccines as needed (illegal for anyone but vets in MN) and a heartworm test on Fluppy each year but I am hoping to save some money at my "designer" vet by doing the rest myself.

Any recommendations?

__________________

Careful what you wish; Careful what you say; Careful what you wish; You may regret it; Careful what you wish; You just might get it. ~ Metallica, King Nothing

Just a heads up. Although horse vaccines tend to stay current, many of those 5-in-1 and 7-in-1 combination dog shots are made from old formulations and do not protect against all the strains of the disease. The ingredients are fresh but the manufacturers haven't updated their product for many new strains.

Several of the local vets around here won't accept the Southern States or Rural King dog vaccines as adequate protection. They've had to put down too many dogs with distemper and parvo who had the shots from the farm stores. Even the ones who know I'm not going to do business with them tell me to take my dog to another vet to get the updated shots.

You can order them, but shipping will KILL the savings since they have to ship overnight a lot of the time....

Your local farm supply should be able to get them (if they don't already carry them) - I found a feed/animal supply store in our town that carried everything I needed (2 kitty shots (with FLV), one doggie, please!).

Just a heads up. Although horse vaccines tend to stay current, many of those 5-in-1 and 7-in-1 combination dog shots are made from old formulations and do not protect against all the strains of the disease. The ingredients are fresh but the manufacturers haven't updated their product for many new strains.

Several of the local vets around here won't accept the Southern States or Rural King dog vaccines as adequate protection. They've had to put down too many dogs with distemper and parvo who had the shots from the farm stores. Even the ones who know I'm not going to do business with them tell me to take my dog to another vet to get the updated shots.

I'm not so sure this is the case. Vets tend to say things about products you can buy some place else because they directly interfer with their livelihood. As "proof" of that, all you have to do is look at the Advantage/Frontline BS vets started about the ones you buy over the counter being poisonous. (If that was the case, a representative from Bayer wouldn't have been trying to sell me Advantage in a pet store, after visiting the local vets...)

Also, when I first starting giving my own shots, I took the vials to my vet to check to make sure they were what I needed. He not only told me they were, but he showed me the ones he had and both of our's had the same lot number. (Which would mean they were produced at the same time.) But then, I ordered mine from Pet Med. Man, I miss my vet...

HOWEVER, one thing you MUST watch out for if the temperature of the vaccines. You don't want them to get too warm and this can happen in shipping. (But then, it can happen in shipping to the vet's offices as well.)

All vaccines come with an expiration date and I believe it's within two years of its production. As long as you're well within the expiration date, you should be fine.

I know what you mean about folks putting down things that interfere with their potential profits.

However, I innoculate lots of humans on a weekly basis so I'm pretty well up on the whole immunology thing. This conversation started with a vet buddy when talking shop about giving shots and he volunteered the information as a personal warning for my dogs. He takes care of my horses and another vet in a town closer to me handles the doggies; the vets don't particularly get along. My horse vet willl be the first guy to give me a money-saving tip on animal care whether he makes any money on it or not and especially if he could snub the other guy without compromising care.

I've checked with several other vets on the issue and I get the same stories about vaccine failure with the farm store brand 5-in-1 and 7-in-1 shots. It may be due to old formulations or it may be due to lack of proper storage conditions. Either way, it resulted in a dead dog.

As an aside, Jeffers Pet Supply was highly recommended by several of the vets as a money saving, quality source for the shots.

Remember, this is free advice and it's worth every penny you paid for it. Good Luck!

I have no doubt that some places that don't sell a high volume of shots would end up with old stock.

But you know, going to a vet doesn't equal protection either. Just ask my dog Bullet that died as a seven month old pup of Parvo. Vaccinated routinely by my vet... So it can, and does, go either way. Vets can get bad batches, mishandling, not stored properly, whatever. So many things can go wrong any where. Quite honestly, I was a little miffed that I had paid for all those shots, then had to pay over $600 for treatment of Parvo and still lose my dog. The vet, who wasn't my vet much long after this, had the nerve to say, "well, you shouldn't have bought the shots elsewhere". Oh yeah? Just check your record dumb a$$...

With the way viruses work, there's almost no way of preventing everything. As soon as a vaccine is made a virus can mutate and that vaccine is no longer as effective. I'm still looking for that magic bullet cure-all and protect all. Anything that will give my dogs a longer life here with me.

I vote for making our dogs live in plastic bubbles so we don't have to worry about it!

Try asking your vet to sell you the vaccine. I asked mine and was told that I would be charged full price for it, the only savings is I don't have to pay the office call because I didn't bring my animal in.

I have to agree with the questionable vaccines sold at the feed stores. Use them with great caution if at all. A "great deal" may cost you more in the long run.

__________________ May your troubles be less, Your blessings be more,
and nothing but happiness come through your barn door.